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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28087770">Double Death of The Dearly Departed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitchenspoon/pseuds/Kitchenspoon'>Kitchenspoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RuPaul's Drag Race (US) RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body snatching, Bones the tv show au, Comedy, Confusion, F/F, Murder, Murder Mystery, Wakes &amp; Funerals, its actually kinda funny even though its also morbid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:40:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,622</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28087770</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitchenspoon/pseuds/Kitchenspoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an au of one of my favourite tv shows bones. (season 4 episode 22: Double Death of the Dearly Departed) I took the title from the episode.</p>
<p>I wanted to clarify that the story line of this fic is not mine. I took it directly from the episode and changed a few minor things. I just added my favourite queens in place of the actual characters. <br/>I also took allot of direct dialogue from the show. I tried my best to make it my own as often as possible but for the plot to make sense I had to use what the writers originally used. (It's allot of science stuff that can't be reiterated with my vocabulary.   <br/>I wanted to make all this clear so everyone is aware I am not claiming the plot as my own, this is just my gay drag spin on it.  </p>
<p>A guide to the characters as well if that helps: <br/>Trixie- Bones (Dr. Temperance Brennan) forensic anthropologist<br/>Katya- FBI special agent booth<br/>Violet-  Dr. Camille Saroyan (ex coroner now head of the forensic division)<br/>Kim- Angela Montenegro (Forensic facial reconstruction specialist) <br/>Amy- Dr. Jack Hodgins (forensic etymologist, botanist, mineralogist  forensic palynologist, and a forensic chemist)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Trixie Mattel/Katya Zamolodchikova, kim chi/ Amy Doan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Double Death of The Dearly Departed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katya Kept her eyes focused on the road as she drove down the busy streets of DC. The tight fabric of her dress pants was itching the tops of her thighs, reminding her she needed to invested in a new funeral appropriate black suit. </p>
<p>"The poor guy was only 50 years old," She said turning down the street. </p>
<p>"They say cause of death was Cardiac failure, resulting from a congenial defect." Trixie looked up from her phone over to Katya. </p>
<p>"You're not gunna talk like that when we get there right?" Katya asked. Her eyes caught Amy and Violet's smirks in her rear view mirror. </p>
<p>"Like what?" Trixie furrowed her brow. She tucked her phone away and turned her full attention to Katya, sensing it was going to be one of her teaching moments about social norms. </p>
<p>"It's a wake, Trix. Not a crime scene." Katya turned to look at Trixie. "You know, I'm sorry for your loss. How are you holding up? Stuff like that." She tried to explain, Amy and Violet fully giggling in the back seat. </p>
<p>Trixie looked back at them in confusion then back to Katya before speaking. "I know. I just don't agree with the social Convention that requires us to attend a day-long grieving ritual because the deceased worked at the Jeffersonian." </p>
<p>"Try not to say the deceased." Katya explained trying to hold back her own smirk at that point. She gave Trixie's hand a squeeze. </p>
<p>"It's not like any of us knew Doctor Riley personally." Trixie huffed leaning back against her seat. </p>
<p>"Hey I knew him." Amy pipped up from the back seat. "It was Hank! he was really cool." </p>
<p>"I talked to him just last week." Violet cut in, "He was trying to help me get my niece to quit smoking. It's driving my sister up the wall." </p>
<p>"She's smoking?" Katya looked back at Violet with a quick glance. "Smoking what?" </p>
<p>"Cigarettes. Clam down you hypocrite." Violet rolled her eyes. </p>
<p>"She's 16 she's just trying to test your sister, that's all. I pulled the same shit at that age." Katya said, waving her hand dismissively. </p>
<p>"Maybe we should just focus on Hank." Violet turned to look out the window again. </p>
<p>"oh!" Trixie said suddenly, everyone turning to look at her. "I think I remember him. Curly blonde hair, blue eyes, glasses-"</p>
<p>"Nope. Dark hair, balding." Katya looked to Trixie her mouth a flat line. </p>
<p>"You don't even work at the Jeffersonian. How do you know him?" Trixie looked over at her exasperated, disbelief in her eyes. </p>
<p>"The guy had a thing for 90's Russian pop music." Katya said with a smile. "I heard him playing it in his office once when I passed it on my way out." </p>
<p>"Oh no!" Amy suddenly gasped. "I still owe him 20 bucks." She frowned.  </p>
<p>"You know what, come to think of it he owed me 20 bucks. Great. How am I gunna get that now?" Katya huffed. </p>
<p>"Katya!" Amy reached over the seat to smack her arm. </p>
<p>"Look who's the insensitive one now." Trixie gloated with a smirk. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The wake was at a beautiful large estate, with a nice pool and very well kept gardens. Everyone stood in the room near the end of the hall, either gathered around the casket or sitting in some of the many chairs placed out in front of it. </p>
<p>"There are allot of people here I recognise." Trixie spoke looking around. She stood in a circle with Kim and Katya at her sides, her hand held by Katya's. </p>
<p>"Well they're from work Trix." Kim said in a softer voice than usual, her lisp coming through heavily. She had her arm looped around Amy's as they all stood together near the entry way. She may work at the Jeffersonian with the rest but, she just did facial reconstructions and computer algorithms. She wasn't as used to or comfortable with death as the rest. </p>
<p>"Hey look that's Sarah Valenski, Hank's assistant." Amy pointed out, giving Kim's arm a soft squeeze. She tried to change the subject to something more gossip related, knowing it would ease things for Kim. She may be best friends with Trixie who is numb to death and works with corpses without blinking an eye. But she wasn't like that, Amy knew how much it grossed Kim out. Amy was the bugs and particles gal but she didn't mind working with a corpse or two. </p>
<p>"She looks really upset." Violet said, observing the girl with a close eye. She didn't work in their department but, Violet was a boss at the Jeffersonian so she kept tabs on the girl. An old habit from her job as a coroner in New York. </p>
<p>"Grief can be very difficult to process. So if anyone needs to talk-" </p>
<p>"That's why they have booze, Methyd." Katya interrupted. She came off harsher than she meant, trying to ease things up with a joking smile at the end. </p>
<p>"Right." Crystal nodded Trying not to let it get to her too much. She was still new to the group and most of them were scientists with doctorates. They weren't the biggest fans of the  'pseudoscience' of psychology as they called it. She knew she just had to profile some more people and she would earn her way onto Katya's good side and therefore Trixie's. </p>
<p>"Hank's mother over there is very rich-" Kim cut in, changing the subject. "Something to do with dry cleaning." She leaned closer to Violet, speaking in a gossipy tone. </p>
<p>"Doctor Trixie Mattel?" A bald man with a bowtie approached the group looking rather star struck. </p>
<p>"Yes. Hello," Trixie spoke stiffly, looking around at her friends. Katya let go of her hand and placed one on the small of her back instead, coming up to stand closer to her side. </p>
<p>"Hank said you worked at the museum , but I didn't think you'd be here." He sounded amazed. Trixie knew she was famous for her anthropological work with Katya and the rest of the FBI, but the man in front of her didn't look like the type to be interested in that. </p>
<p>"I- I'm Barney, Hank's brother." </p>
<p>"<em>I'm sorry for your loss.</em>" Katya stepped closer to Trixie, whispering between her teeth. </p>
<p>"Uh, I'm sorry for your loss. yeah." Trixie stepped forwards and shook the mans hand. </p>
<p>"Ladies and Gentlemen-" The funeral director interrupted. " After you've had a moment with the deceased, please join us in the family room for refreshments and reminiscence.</p>
<p>"<em>See he said deceased</em>!" Trixie whispered looking back at Katya with her brows raised. Katya just shook her head mouthing 'no' motioning for her to stop. Trixie turned back with a quiet huff and let Katya lead her forwards towards the casket with a hand on the small of her back. </p>
<p>Amy was the first to go up to the casket. She looked down at hank with a sad smile and placed a folded $20 bill in the front pocket of his suit, giving it a small pat. </p>
<p>Violet went next, walking over with a steady stride. She stopped in front of the casket and looked down to hank. "Sorry Hank, but she's still smoking." she shook her head as her voice came out a little thicker than she expected. She gave Kim's shoulder a small pat as she passed her on her way back.</p>
<p> Kim stood over Hank's body and dabbed her tears away with a crumpled tissue Amy gave her. She felt so bad for the poor guy, he was just so young and he really did love what he was doing at the Jeffersonian. </p>
<p>Katya walked over to Hank with a small smile on her face, he was a nice guy even if she didn't know him too well. She looked over his body and sighed, a small smirk splaying across her lips as she spotted a folded $20 bill in his pocket. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder then reached down and pulled it from him pocket with two fingers, stuffing it in her bra before she turned around to walk back to Trixie. </p>
<p>Trixie watched as Hank's mother and brother walked over to his body. Barny held his mother's oxygen tank as she trailed ahead of him, letting her take it as she left. She only lasted a few moments before she covered her eye's and walked away. Barny stayed longer, smoothing over his brother's suit before leaving to comfort his mother. Sarah walked over to his casket with a rose, placing it on his chest. She seemed to be very distraught to Trixie's confusion. She watched as Sarah gasped when she saw Hank's wife trying to piece things together in her mind. </p>
<p>"<em>Go up. Pay your respects</em>." Katya appeared behind Trixie, whispering in her ear as she held her hand. </p>
<p>"<em>I know</em>." Trixie looked back at Katya with a small smile, giving her hand a squeeze as she walked off towards the casket. She looked around her as she walked, everyone's eyes quickly glancing at her as she passed them. She stopped in front of Hank unsure of what to do, then she spotted the rose that had fallen off his chest. She reached inside to fix it but as she placed it back she could feel broken ribs. She unbuttoned his dress shirt and lifted it to look at his chest, examining the work from the autopsy. </p>
<p>"<em>Okay, Trix, you really suck at this,"</em> Katya hissed as she walked over to Trixie. The room was starting to clear out and they were some of the last people left. "<em>You are staring way too long at this guy, okay? People are going to start thinking it's weird." </em>Her eyes were bugging out of her sockets as Trixie turned to look at her. </p>
<p>"<em>This man was murdered." </em>Trixie looked at Katya with burning eyes. </p>
<p><em>"Heart attack." </em>Katya hissed anxiously, looking at Trixie like she was crazy. "<em>Heart attack. He had a heart attack."</em> Katya's eyes were bugging, she shook her head at Trixie. </p>
<p>"<em>No</em>" Trixie insisted, her eyes just as wide as Katya's. "<em>No, Katya, this man was murdered.</em>" Trixie shook her head back at Katya. Katya looked behind them to her left then right, her anxiety quelling a bit at the fact that it was just them left in the room. </p>
<p>"Hank Riley didn't die from congenital heart failure. He was murdered." Trixie spoke earnestly, leaning in towards Katya. Katya looked back between Trixie and the casket with wide eyes. She finally settled her eyes back on with a look of trust. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"What is that?" Trixie asked as she watched Katya come back from inside, two glasses in her hands. They stood out on the back patio of the estate in the warm sun, hidden near the back corner. "This is Whiskey." Trixie said in an accusatory tone, looking up to Katya.</p>
<p>"Well it's a wake, Trixie, okay?-" Katya looked back over her shoulder again before taking a sip from her own glass, "There's drinking involved." She sighed. </p>
<p>"We should remain clearheaded so we can solve the murder." Trixie reached out to take Katya's glass. Katya turned away from her and cleared her throat, lowering her voice. </p>
<p>"Code word, okay, for murder?" She leaned in closer to Trixie. </p>
<p>"Ok." Trixie nodded. </p>
<p>"I want you to say 'translation' you understand?" She explained, looking at Trixie with raised brows. "Translation." She whispered again. </p>
<p>"Okay. Someone translated Dr. Riley, and we have to find out who." Trixie nodded along with Katya. </p>
<p>"Trix, is there any chance you just feel bad-" Katya placed a hand on Trixie's shoulder and pulled her into her side, "-About not knowing this guy like the rest of us did, so now your just makin it about you, saying he got translated. Instead of dying of I don't know, natural causes." Trixie looked at Katya with her brows knitted as she spoke, becoming slightly more frustrated as she realized what her partner was insinuating. </p>
<p>"No." Trixie shook her head. "There is no chance of that." She looked Katya right in the eye. Katya gave her a look, opening her mouth and tilting her head. She paused for a moment and Trixie looked back at her, shaking her head. </p>
<p>What makes you think he was...translated?" Katya sighed pinching the bridge of her nose. </p>
<p>"Okay. The rose his assistant placed on his chest fell, so I went to place it back and I touched him-" </p>
<p>"Whoa-" Katya jumped back, looking at Trixie. "You touched him?" She looked at Trixie in disbelief. "Ah!" She turned around and placed her drink on the patio table. </p>
<p>"I touch dead people all the time Kat." Trixie raised her arms out and walked over to Katya, sitting across from her. "I felt cracked ribs: Left, 2, 3, 4." Trixie motioned to her side in the general area of the bones. </p>
<p>"Drink up, will ya?" Katya slid Trixie's glass back over to her, letting out a puff of air. </p>
<p>"Why?" Trixie leaned in confused. </p>
<p>"'cause I'm hoping you're 'gunna pass out." Katya shook her head and leaned back in her chair and took another sip. </p>
<p>"Katya!" Trixie said indignantly, reaching over for Katya's glass. "This is translation we are talking about," Trixie said seriously. </p>
<p>"Trix, do you ever think that, uh- oh I don't know- if there was evidence of foul translation, that the coroner would've spotted it?" Katya looked over to Trixie taking her glass back. </p>
<p>"Yes." Trixie nodded, exasperated at Katya's resistance. </p>
<p>"Tell you what, tomorrow morning we'll go find the guy who did the autopsy, and we'll ask him questions." Katya tried to reason, hoping it would be enough for Trixie to let it go. </p>
<p>"No. mmm, Katya. Katya-" Trixie grabbed Katya's arm as she tried to stand and walk away. "Dr. Riley is scheduled to be cremated this afternoon! All of the evidence will be destroyed. We have to get an injunction, so that we can examine the remains." Trixie looked at Katya pleadingly. </p>
<p>"Now! You want me to take the body now?" Katya looked at Trixie like she was crazy, glancing back at the house full of people currently mourning the man they were talking about.  </p>
<p>"Yes." Trixie said simply. </p>
<p>"That family will be scarred for life!" Katya insisted, pointing to the room of people 6 feet away from them. </p>
<p>"Katya, the man has been translated!" Trixie insisted. Katya groaned and took a step back, glancing at the house again. </p>
<p>"Okay, fine, fine, fine. Triple-fine, all right? I'll call for an injunction. In the meantime, go into the family room there where they're doing toast. okay?" Katya kept looking around them, still in disbelief she was doing this. </p>
<p>"Okay." Trixie nodded seriously. </p>
<p>"Okay. Trix?" Trixie turned around to look at Katya. "Put on a sad face." Katya made an overexaggerated frown, pulling her lips down with her fingers. Trixie looked at her with a smirk of victory, then her smile started growing at Katya's actions. "No, sad." Katya frowned again. Trixie furrowed her brows and pushed her bottom lip out. "okay, yeah good keep it like that." Katya gave her a thumbs up as she walked farther from the house to make the call. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Amy, Kim, Violet and crystal all stood together in the family room as Hank's wife stood in the middle of the room slurring about how much she loved her dead husband. It was uncomfortable but it was typical funeral stuff. </p>
<p>"I Loved my husband Hank Riley. I still love him!" She raised her glass, shouting up at the ceiling. Trixie came up behind Amy and Violet and watched as Mrs. Riley turned her gaze to Sarah. "He was a good husband." She squinted her eyes at the younger woman. "A good man. The little things, are what life's about. The routines. Like making Hank his tea every morning." </p>
<p><em>"Hank said I should tell my sister to ground my niece but she comes to me for advice and Stuff, I don't want her to think I turned on her.</em>" Violet looked back to Trixie and Amy. </p>
<p>"<em>Really? Right now</em>?" Amy looked back at Violet with raised brows. She gestured to the room slightly, keeping her arm close to her stomach. </p>
<p>"<em>Oh! Right</em>," Violet whispered. "<em>I was tuning out the drunk rambling and got lost in my thoughts</em>." She turned her attention back to Mrs. Riley. </p>
<p>"What am I supposed to do in the mornings now?!" She sobbed walking out of the room. Trixie watched as Sarah took a sip from her drink with a slight smirk. Interesting. </p>
<p>"Uh I'm John Amayo." A man took a step forward, pulling everyone's attention away from Hank's wife. "Hank and I started at the Jeffersonian at the same time. I lead the Caribbean department. He was a nice guy-" Amy turned her attention away from John when she noticed Trixie turning around and stepping back from the way she came. She turned and gave a look to Kim who only shrugged and sipped her drink. Something was going on. </p>
<p>*** </p>
<p>Katya glanced over her shoulder again before slipping into the room with Hank's casket, closing the door behind her lightly. When she turned around she saw Trixie over the casket with gloved hands, pulling open Hank's dress shirt. </p>
<p>"Trixie! What are you doing, stop messing with the body!" She hissed, rushing over to Trixie's side. </p>
<p>"Did you get the injunction?" Trixie didn't look up from the body, still focused on examining Hank's chest. </p>
<p>"No. The judge turned us down." Katya sighed giving up. She took at seat on the chair in the first row right at the edge of the isle, letting Trixie do her thing. </p>
<p>"What, why?" Trixie finally turned around to look at Katya, her brows furrowed.</p>
<p>"Why? Because both the paramedics and the medical examiner said that Riley died of heart failure. No evidence of translation." Katya gestured to Hank's casket watching as Trixie's face morphed into a look of disagreement. </p>
<p>"But I'm contradicting them." Trixie pulled her gloves off and crossed her arms, cocking her hip. "With my record and credentials-" </p>
<p>"Look," Katya interrupted her, standing from her chair. "The Judge said he didn't want to grant a request to a cocky anthropologist who only works with bones." Katya sighed. She knew the words wouldn't hurt Trixie's feelings but she still felt bad saying them. </p>
<p>"That man is a fool! I've had plenty of experience with flesh covered corpses." Trixie scoffed rolling her eyes. </p>
<p>"I know that Trix." Katya sighed placing a hand on her shoulder. "But, at least he was right about the paramedics and the medical examiner." Katya tried to reason. </p>
<p>"I will get the judge all the evidence he needs." Trixie snapped her gloves back on, turning back to Hank's body. "Just guard the door." </p>
<p>"Wha- get away from the body." Katya grabbed Trixie's arm trying to pull her back. "Leave the body alone Trix," she pleaded as Trixie struggled. </p>
<p>"Just guard the door Katya." Trixie tried yanking her arm out of her partners grip. </p>
<p>"Guard the door?" </p>
<p>They both froze. Katya let go of Trixie's arm and Trixie straightened up, both of them turning towards the door. </p>
<p>"Guard the door from what?" Violet poked her head around the door, fully stepping in the room a few moments later.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p> Violet crossed her arms as she looked at the photo Trixie was showing her. Doctor Hank Riley's shirt and suit jacket were open around the middle of his chest revealing a large bruise on his left pectoral. </p>
<p>"you undressed the deceased?" She looked between Trixie and Katya with disbelief. Katya raised her hands in surrender taking a step backwards. </p>
<p>"No. I didn't have to it was slit up the back, I just had to untuck him." Trixie explained like what they were talking about was completely normal. Katya stood beside her, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head. She wouldn't look up and meet Violet's gaze. </p>
<p>Violets mouth gaped open but she looked at the picture again, ignoring Katya as she paced. After another moment of looking at the picture she reached out and took the phone, zooming in on the image. "huh. There was no mention of this contusion in the medical examiners report." She furrowed her brows, ignoring Trixie's motion to Katya about how she was right. </p>
<p>"Meaning" Katya waved her hand at Trixie, dismissing her indignant look. Instead she looked to Violet, motioning for her to elaborate. </p>
<p>"This bruise was sustained later." Violet handed the phone back to Trixie. </p>
<p>"Corpses don't bruise." Trixie looked right at Katya as she spoke. </p>
<p>"Whoa, wait. So Hank was alive after he was declared dead?" Katya looked between Violet and Trixie. </p>
<p>"It sure looks that way." Violet nodded, still confused about how that could have happened. </p>
<p>"Where did the body go after the medical exam?" Katya began pacing again, speaking with her hands.</p>
<p>"The funeral home. For embalming." Violet spared a glance at Trixie who looked just as confused. That wasn't promising. </p>
<p>"We should talk to the funeral director." Katya finally looked up. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Trixie walked ahead of Katya as they searched the house for the funeral director. They had checked the main floor and the basement and where on their way up the stairs. Katya checked the first door on her left, motioning for Trixie to check the right. Trixie opened the door to a spare room with a bed full of coats. As she closed the door she heard noise at the end of the hall. Ignoring all the other doors she walked to the final door in the hallway and pulled it open revealing Mrs. Riley and the funeral director having sex against the sink. Trixie stood there shocked for a moment before gaining her sense and speaking up. </p>
<p>"Hello?" </p>
<p>"You mind?" Mrs. Riley pulled her face from the mans neck and scoffed slamming the door in Trixie's face. Trixie took a step back and giggled, heading over to Katya to let her know she found them. </p>
<p>"Katya, Katya." She said as she walked over to her partner. She flattened her palms and bumped them against each other with a giddy smile.</p>
<p>"What?" Katya asked. Trixie did the motion again, raising her brows. "What?" Katya asked again still very confused about what Trixie was trying to say. </p>
<p>"The funeral director and the- the widow" Trixie bumped and slid her palms together again, looking at Katya like she was stupid. </p>
<p>"What? They were dancing? What?" Katya shook her head. </p>
<p>"Sexual intercourse." Trixie sighed, dropping her shoulders. </p>
<p>"Oh. How am I supposed to get 'Sexual intercourse' from that? Katya air quoted Trixie, mocking her hand motions. </p>
<p>"It's very obvious." Trixie said defensively. She slid her palms together again to drove her point. </p>
<p>"No this is." Katya make a hole with her thumb and pointer finger, sliding her pointed finger in and out of it with a mocking nod towards Trixie. </p>
<p>"This is my house now. And I can do who I want in it." Doctor Riley's Widow spoke interrupting them.</p>
<p>"Obviously." Katya muttered under her breath as the widow walked past them. She was still zipping her dress and fixing her hair, heading for the stairs. A few moments later the funeral director came out of the same bathroom, fixing his cufflinks. </p>
<p>"So uh, you do this stuff allot?" Katya took a step in front of him, blocking him from going down the stairs. She crossed her arms and looked up at him waiting for him to talk. </p>
<p>"It's my job to comfort the bereaved." He took a step back from the stairs. Trixie took her place by Katya and stepped towards him as she spoke. </p>
<p>"Well it's also your job to report any damaged the body sustained during your preparation of it." Trixie pulled her phone out and held the picture of Doctor Riley's bruised chest towards the mans face, waiting for his initial shock to wear off so she could start her questioning. She was getting a little impatient with hos slow things were going. </p>
<p>He glanced between Trixie and phone, his eyes going back and forth about 4 times with his mouth hung open. He tried to look at Katya for an explanation she just shook her head and motioned to Trixie. "When did you take that? You molested the body?" He took a step back from the two of them. </p>
<p>"No-" </p>
<p>"FBI," Katya interrupted pulling out her badge. Her patients were beginning to run low and she didn't have as much self control as Trixie. Freaky things were piling up and she wanted answers. </p>
<p>"Wow, FBI" The mans eye bugged.</p>
<p>"You wanna explain how the bruises got on the body?" Katya asked, sliding her badge back in her suit jacket. </p>
<p>"The infusing of embalming fluid increases the stainability of bruises on the dermis." He looked from Katya over to Trixie, focusing on her as he spoke. "A bruise not seen immediately post-mortem often presents itself post-embalming." </p>
<p>"Okay is that good enough for you?" Katya turned to Trixie, holding her arm out to stop the director as he tried to sneak away. </p>
<p>"What about the broken ribs?" Trixie asked pulling him back in front of them again. Katya sighed and deflated but still stood by Trixie's side.</p>
<p>"The rib breaks and sternum cracks- Which I noted in his files- Where from Dr. Riley's assistant attempting to revive him with CPR after finding him unconscious in his office." The director turned to look at Katya who in turn looked at Trixie pointing to the director with raised brows. Trixie nodded with a sigh and Katya let the undertaker go, motioning to the stairs. </p>
<p>"So, you still think he was translated?" Katya turned to Trixie and asked after the director was out of sight. </p>
<p>"Those are not the ribs that would break during CPR." Trixie glanced back down the stairs. </p>
<p>"Well maybe she's just bad at resuscitation?" Katya sighed her shoulder deflating. She just wanted this to be a clear yes or no, none of this maybe crap. </p>
<p>"No. Katya this was translation." Trixie insisted her graze burning enough that Katya finally met her eyes. "We need to do a full examination of the body at the lab." Trixie began to walk down the stairs again. </p>
<p>"But we don't have an injunction!" Katya called after her, speeding down the stairs to chase Trixie when she was ignored. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Amy stood in the middle of the room with everyone looking at her. She had offered to do a toast because she felt bad for Hank. This wake was supposed to be about him and his life but so far it has been about everyone else and their drama. </p>
<p>"Its a sad day for all of us, knowing Hank is gone. But, I think it is important to remember all the amazing things he did for us, like loaning me $20 once when I forgot my wallet at home and didn't pack a lunch. He was such a positive guy, doing his best to make everyone smile. He had a good sense of humor and was always quick to joke good or bad. Most of the time bad." She chuckled under her breath, glad everyone else was laughing too. She gazed up out the window as she was about to speak again but her words died on her tongue. </p>
<p>"But he-" Trixie and Katya were dragging his body across the patio around the pool. "Oh my god." She gasped "Uhhh oh my god Hank." She floundered watching as Trixie tripped and almost dropped his shoulder onto the ground. "How could you leave us so soon!" She panicked and smashed her glass down onto the floor. The whole crowd of people looked at her, Kim and Crystal in particular. They were staring at her with furrowed brows but she had to keep going. She needed to keep everyone distracted so they didn't look out the back window. </p>
<p>"Uh Hank is he's- he's leaving us, right now as we speak. Where is he going from here?-" Her voice cracked as Katya dropped his feet, scrambling to pick them up off the concrete again. "-Who knows?" She took the nearest glass off a table to her right and took a big gulp of whiskey. Katya motioned at her through the window to keep going as they struggled. </p>
<p>"Uh Uh Oh Go-o-od Hank!" I'll miss you so much!" Amy held her face in her hands. Everyone's jaws dropped as she sunk to the floor, all of them gasping. Kim shot Amy a look but she shook her head glancing out the window again. Trixie and Katya just rounded the corner and were out of sight. "Uh ahem, thank you." Amy stood and dusted off her dress, walking away from the crowd with her head down. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"C'mon Trix, slide him up lets go, hurry up." Katya huffed as she dragged Hank up the driveway. She was supporting his left shoulder while Trixie had his right. This whole plan was a fiasco, Amy saw them during her speech and acted all weird and now Crystal and Kim where suspicious. </p>
<p>"Why are you telling me to hurry up? I'm not the one who dropped his legs." Trixie protested as she tried to speed up in her heels without Tripping. </p>
<p>"Your car was blocked so I grabbed Kim's Kia," Violet said as she rushed over to them ushering them to Kim's car. </p>
<p>"Is there enough room?" Trixie strained running out of strength.</p>
<p>"It'll be fine, there's lots of room." Violet pulled the back passenger door open clearing stuff out of the way. </p>
<p>"Here we go, in the car I got it." Katya turned them and held the brunt of Hank's weight as Trixie crawled into the backseat with him half on top of her. </p>
<p>"Should we lie him down?" Trixie asked from the inside of the car, pulling Hank's stiff arm off from around her shoulder. </p>
<p>"No, no. You get stopped you have a dead corpse. This way he just looks drunk." Katya pushed his upper body into the car sliding him off her shoulder. "Okay get the legs in, there we go." She said as Trixie pulled his stiff legs up and into the car, sitting him up right. </p>
<p>Violet stood outside the car desperately looking around hoping nobody would come outside. They looked awfully suspicious and she still hadn't thought of a good enough lie to explain what they were doing. </p>
<p>"Okay do the seatbelt, plug him in." Katya handed Trixie the belt, adjusting him as Trixie buckled him in. </p>
<p>"He looks comfy." Violet glanced back and opened the drivers seat, hopping in and starting the ignition. </p>
<p>"Okay see ya later." Katya backed up and closed the passenger door stepping away from the car. </p>
<p>"Wait aren't you coming with us?" Trixie leaned over the front console crowding Violet. Violet leaned forward and rolled her eye's getting ready to slam the door and punch it. </p>
<p>"No, no I can't I gotta stay here and make sure nobody looks in the casket." Katya stepped to the drivers door and leaned in giving Trixie a quick peck behind Violet's sweaty back. She pulled away and nodded at Violet closing the door and ushering them along. "Go, go, go get outta here. What are you waiting for go go!" Violet punched the gas and sped them out of there while Trixie watched Katya sprint back towards the house. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Amy stood at the refreshments table her face still red with embracement. She had found a new glass and was pouring herself a new drink, hoping nobody would ask her about what had just happened a few minutes ago. But Amy was Amy and she had very good friends so of course Kim was walking over toward her. </p>
<p>"What on earth was all of that?" She asked bluntly, looking down at Amy. </p>
<p>"What- What uh what do you mean?" Amy stuttered nervously, occupying her mouth with her new drink. </p>
<p>"Your toast? You were like an escaped asylum patient. Jesus Amy." Kim scoffed, taking her drink. "Do I need to cut you off?" </p>
<p>"No. No I'm fine just a little emotional is all." Amy reached back for her drink but Kim held it above her head using Amy's unusual shortness and her unusual tallness to her advantage. </p>
<p>"I didn't know you were so closed to Hank. Maybe if you were so close to him you should go talk to Crystal. You know trained psychologist and all." </p>
<p>"No! uh I mean no I'm okay now, but thank you for worrying." Amy smiled and grabbed a new drink. The last person who needed to know about any of this was Crystal. She was fresh and new and would probably call in what Trixie and Katya were doing, whatever it is they were doing. </p>
<p>"Then tell me." Kim stepped in front of her again. </p>
<p>"Fine." Amy pulled them over to a corner. "Katya just told me Trixie thinks Hank was murdered, so she helped her steal the body so Violet could take it back to the lab to examine it." </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Kim walked through the door to the room with the casket and spotted Katya pacing. She walked in and started towards Katya "<em>Hey. You stole the body</em>?" she whispered. </p>
<p>"Jesus Kim." Katya whipped her head up to look at the artist. "No, no, no, no, no. We didn't steal it, we borrowed it." Katya said in a panicky tone, gesturing back to the empty casket. "Okay, Trixie and Violet think it was translated." </p>
<p>"Uh wh-what? Translated?" Kim looked at Katya and raised her brow. </p>
<p>"It's code for murder. That's how we are going to say it today, translated." Katya lowered her voice leaning in closer to Kim. </p>
<p>"Yeah yeah okay. What if someone looks in the coffin?" Kim scoffed at Katya. </p>
<p>"That's exactly why I'm here." Katya whisper shouted running a hand through her hair. She could feel herself beginning to sweat. She was the head of the special crimes unit at the FBI but, she was definitely doing all of this against judges orders. And it wasn't the first time she had broken the rules like this for Trixie, she was skating on thin ice.  </p>
<p>"Oh, hello Misses Riley." Kim suddenly spoke, yanking Katya up from her chair. She spared a glance over at Katya who had paled in the past 5 seconds since the door opened. </p>
<p>"Uh, would you excuse me please? I'd like to have a moment with my son." She took her oxygen mask away from her mouth to speak. Both Kim and Katya froze for a moment, panicking when Misses Riley started looking between them expectantly. </p>
<p>"Uh that's not the best idea right now ma'am." Katya finally coughed out. She wrung her hands together and put on her most convincing face, hoping it was enough. </p>
<p>"Well why not?" Misses Riley asked because more upset by the minute. </p>
<p>"There's been a- a- uh um a-" Katya cut herself off and just smiled, side eyeing Kim. </p>
<p>"The undertaker made some uh errors." Kim jumped in giving Katya a glare. </p>
<p>"What do you mean? I just saw him earlier?" Misses Riley took a step forward.  </p>
<p>"You did, yes you did. But um the putty they used to fill the face has sorta melted and now his nose is all meh and down the side of his face. and his hair is uh uh kinda like Trump's." Kim word vomited unable to stop the lies pouring out of her mouth. </p>
<p>"Trump." Katya choked. </p>
<p>"Trump?" Misses Riley gasped literally clutching her pearls. She took a large gulp of air through her mask her eyes widened in shock. </p>
<p>"I think it's best if you let the undertaker fix him up before you see your son again." Kim moved on ignoring the way Katya cringed beside her. </p>
<p>"I- I must go I can't see him like this." Misses Riley shook her head and left pulling her tank behind her. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"These fractures were definitely not cause by CPR," Trixie said pointing at the large x-rays pinned up on the light board of the lab. "The breaks are more randomly located and suggest sharper impact than a hard push." </p>
<p>"Yup. He was stabbed." Violet spoke over the body between her and Trixie. "You can see the entry wounds hidden behind the trocar buttons." Violet pulled another small plastic flesh coloured peg from the chest, placing it in a dish. "There's 13 total each one sealing up a cutaneous puncture site, each one caused by a weapon three eights on an inch in diameter." She walked around the table over to a tray. "They were most likely caused by this." She held up a large needle looking object. "A standard medical trocar for embalming." </p>
<p>"Could it just be a poor job of embalming?" Trixie asked, reaching out to take the large trocar in her gloved hands. It would definitely kill someone if they were repeatedly impaled with it. 13 times was no exception. </p>
<p>"Impossible. over half of the punctures were nowhere near a vein." Violet took the trocar back placing it on a tray again. "Hank was stabbed seven times with a trocar while he was still alive." She looked at Trixie seriously, confirming what they both hoped wasn't true. </p>
<p>"So Hank Riley had a heart attack, was declared dead by the paramedics and medical examiner, and then sent to an undertaker-" </p>
<p>"Where he was stabbed to death." Violet cut Trixie off with a nod. </p>
<p>"I'll call Katya." Trixie looked down at the body for another moment before rushing away. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"You see here I have a live feed to the Jeffersonian forensics lab Franklin. So say hi to Violet and Trixie." Katya shoved the undertaker into the passenger seat of her car, pointing towards her laptop.</p>
<p>"That's Mr. Riley!" Franklins eyes widened as he looked back between Katya and the laptop. He made a move to grab his phone but Katya snatched it, shoving it in the back pocket of her dress pants. </p>
<p>"Pay attention." She scolded, pointing back towards the laptop screen. </p>
<p>"Why did you hide all these stab wounds?" Trixie asked standing in a plastic apron and gloves. She had her hair tied back and Katya thought she looked just as pretty as she had that morning when they left. </p>
<p>"It's my job to make the body presentable. I did my j-job." Franklin stuttered, sweating. "I did my job!" He looked back to Katya. "I did my job!" Franklin held his face in his hands, being to panic. </p>
<p>"Okay, Franklin what we need to know is who stabbed Doctor Riley." Katya placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder, leaning into the car more. She tried to keep her voice level and calming, not having enough patients to deal with a panicking civilian. </p>
<p>"I did!" Franklin yelled looking at Trixie and Violet through the screen. Both of their brows furrowed in confusion. He looked back to Katya who gave him the same look. "It was me." </p>
<p>"You stabbed the corpse?" Katya questioned sparing a glance at her laptop screen. She spoke slowly trying to convey back exactly what Franklin just told them. </p>
<p>"It's crazy. This is crazy. Oh my god." Franklin started breathing shallow, holding his head again. "Maybe I'm crazy." He cried. </p>
<p>"Okay just relax." Katya placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just slow down and tell me what happened, okay?" </p>
<p>"It was late, everyone left and the body just came in. I cleaned and disinfected everything and was about to administer the pre-injection to flush his veins before I started the embalming in his veins. I went in through the right femoral artery. Then all the sudden his eyes open! His body jerked up and spasmed!" Franklin explained looking back and forth between Katya and the live feed. </p>
<p>"You panicked and you stabbed him?" Violet asked through the screen becoming deflated but understanding.</p>
<p>"It- it was a reflex, I was scared!" Franklin cried rapidly wiping his eyes. </p>
<p>"I get it." Violet assured. "Sometimes I'm alone at night and I swear the bodies move too." Trixie gave her a side eye and both Katya and Franklin just stared at her. "Whatever." She dismissed the topic, waving her hand. </p>
<p>"Just- Was Hank Riley dead or alive?" Katya said becoming frustrated. They stole- borrowed the body to get answers not more questions. </p>
<p>"There wasn't a full autopsy. He was declared dead by the hospital and the M.E just signed off on it because the cause seemed reasonable." Violet explained, the pieces finally coming to her, beginning to form the full picture. </p>
<p>"Vi, How is it that a guy can appear dead to two sets of medical professionals?" Katya asked. She shoved Franklin back in his seat as she tried to shift out of his seat and leave. </p>
<p>"There are many types of paralysis that look like death." Trixie spoke up, trying to think of a list of drugs that could have been used. </p>
<p>"The embalming process would have erased any traces of paralytic toxins in his system." Violet sighed. "Actually-" She gasped speeding over to her tray. She grabbed a needle and went over to Hank's corpse lifting one of his eyelids. She punctured the eyeball and withdrew fluid from the veins in the eye.</p>
<p>Katya slammed the laptop closed and shook her head hoping that image would leave her mind soon. "Okay lets go, your free to go get outta here." Katya grabbed Franklin by the collar and pulled him out of her car pushing him along.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Violet tested the fluid and brought the petri dish over, looking at the results. "The fluids tested positive for tetrodotoxin, 100 times more lethal than potassium cyanide and is naturally occurring."  </p>
<p>"But he wasn't dead?" Trixie questioned, coming up beside Violet to look at the results. </p>
<p>"Yet. that happens anywhere between 20 minutes to 8 hours after ingested into the system. Until then the respiratory system mimics death." Violet explained. </p>
<p>"So Franklin hit a nerve while starting with the femoral vein and Hank shoots up still in a coma and Franklin stabs and kills him." Trixie ran through it, the story of what happened coming together in her head. </p>
<p>"But, someone poisoned Hank first." Violet added in staring back at the test results from the eye fluid. </p>
<p>"Hank was in a paralytic state mimicking death when Franklin inserted the trocar, most likely hitting a nerve and making his body jolt up on the embalming table." Trixie explained to Kim, Amy, and Katya. They had all snuck away to the room where Hank's empty casket was. Violet had instructed Trixie to fill everyone in while she finished up with Hank's body back at the lab. </p>
<p>"Hmm, so technically Franklin Tung committed manslaughter, while somebody else committed attempted murder." Katya spoke tilting her head back with a sigh. She got weary glances from Kim and Amy who were just getting filled in on how complicated and messy things ended up unraveling. </p>
<p>"What did you find at the lab." Amy finally cut in, turning to Trixie. </p>
<p>"Tetris hydrogen-" Katya spoke up before Trixie could answer. </p>
<p>"Tetrodotoxin-" Trixie corrected, looking to Amy. </p>
<p>"That's what I said." Katya cut Amy off giving Trixie a look. Trixie just shook her head and waved her off turning back to Amy. Katya let out a small huff but let them do their thing. She was an FBI agent, not a scientist. And besides, she was close anyways. </p>
<p>"Tetrodotoxin has a limited medical use. It's really only used to treat some cardiac arrhythmias." Amy thought out loud, flipping through her mental rolodex of paralytic knowledge. </p>
<p>"Hank had a congenial heart condition." Trixie offered, trying her best to piece together all the individual knowledge everyone had. </p>
<p>" So is this tetrahockalin thing common?" Katya asked beginning to become restless and impatient. </p>
<p>"Tetrodotoxin." Both Amy and Trixie corrected at the same time. </p>
<p>"That's what I said!" Katya sighed scrubbing her hands down her face. She took a moment to look up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. She let it go and looked back to Amy and Trixie, Kim in her periphery. </p>
<p>"It's a controlled substance." Amy offered, slightly flustered.</p>
<p> After a brief lull in the idea train Kim spoke up for the first time since they all met. "What if I could access the F.D.C database and see if Hank was ever prescribed Tetrodotoxin?" She looked between Trixie and Katya with raised brows, hoping the idea would land. </p>
<p>"My computer is in my car, use mine. Come on come on." Katya ushered Kim out of the room, happy to hop onto an idea and ride it.  She let Kim walk ahead of her waving her hands at her to go faster. Just as she was about to leave she whipped around to Trixie and Amy. "If anybody tries to come in here DO NOT let them look in that casket!" She rushed out before whipping back around and chasing after Kim. </p>
<p>Kim sat inside her car using her attached laptop that held a bunch of database mumbo-jumbo she never looked at. She stood outside and watched making sure nobody came by looking for them. She hadn't heard or seen Crystal in awhile which concerned her a bit, the young psychologist was probably going to look for them soon which means she would of course get in the way or mess something up for them. </p>
<p>"I got something!" Kim called out, turning the laptop to Katya as she rushed to the open drivers door to look. Katya leaned against the frame of her car and started at the screen, waiting for Kim to explain. "3 Milligrams of Tetrodotoxin was delivered to the Jeffersonian 3 weeks ago." </p>
<p>"Hold on, so Hank had his heart meds sent to work?" Katya squinted up at Kim confused. </p>
<p>"No, it wasn't Hank who ordered it. The delivery was accepted by Doctor John Amayo in Caribbean studies." Kim looked up from the laptop to face Katya.  Katya shook her head then stood up, slamming her car door closed. She motioned for Kim to follow her and started making her way back inside. </p>
<p>Katya Tracked down Trixie and got her to describe John, walking through each room of the house as inconspicuously as she could while she searched for him. Trixie ended up spotting him first, stopping him as he came down the stairs from grabbing his coat. </p>
<p>"Uh Doctor Amayo I'd like you to meet my associate Katya Zamo!" Trixie said blindly reaching behind herself for Katya. She grabbed her partners hand and dragged her forwards, giving John the most normal smile she could muster. </p>
<p>"You too are fairly well know, " John gave a smile and shook Katya's hand. </p>
<p>"Doctor Mattel told me the Jeffersonian is shutting down your department after this quarter?" Katya took a step back and lined herself up beside Trixie, taking a hold of her hand again. </p>
<p>"Heh, yup. The economy is in the toilet, as I'm sure you've heard." John joked, looking between Trixie and Katya. </p>
<p>"You were going to have to report to Doctor Riley." Trixie added looking back to Katya. </p>
<p>"That's until Hank died and everything went back to normal," Katya continued, looking at John with raised brows and suggestive eyes. </p>
<p>"Hank was my best friend. Do you think I'm happy he died? I had no qualms about having to report to him." John said defensively, his eyes darting between Trixie and Katya. </p>
<p>"Why did you order 3 Milligrams of Tetrodotoxin?" Trixie continued on. </p>
<p>"Why are you interrogating me?" John took a step back. </p>
<p>"I work with the FBI, It's what I do." Katya stepped forward, letting Trixie's hand fall from hers. </p>
<p>"Hey! Where have you guys been?" Crystal walked through the door way and headed towards the bottom of the stair case where Trixie, Katya, and John all stood. She looked at them with a goofy smile and expectant eyes. </p>
<p>"Not now, Crystal. Please." Katya murmured looking at Crystal for a brief moment. </p>
<p>"You work in the field of the anthropological study of the Caribbean culture. How does a class 1 neurotoxin assist with that?" Trixie cut in, trying to bring the focus back to the task at hand and salvage their conversation. </p>
<p>"Oh! I got it! Uh neurotoxins are widely believed to cause a trance like state in reported cases of Haitian zombism" Crystal spoke to John with a wide smile, then turned to Trixie to see if she was right. "Am I right? I'm right aren't I." She placed a hand on John's shoulder with a toothy smile. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Zombies?" Katya cut Crystal off, looking between Trixie and John for any kind of explanation. </p>
<p>"There are no such things as zombies, just island superstition." Trixie shook her head at Katya. She couldn't believe the excuses John was trying to use, </p>
<p>"You've just insulted an entire culture and their belief system." John looked at Trixie and scoffed. </p>
<p>"She does that to everyone." Katya murmured under her breath earning a hard glare from Trixie. It's not like she meant to, she was just being factual and using basic scientific understanding.  </p>
<p>"Doctor Amayo's work in Voodoo and Santeria is actually quite fascinating...and a little scary." Crystal chuckled, actively choosing to ignore the tension that built up for reasons unknown to her prior lack of presence. </p>
<p>"You people need to work on your small talk skills." John looked between the group then gave them a nod and walked away, shaking his head. </p>
<p>"Whoa, what was all that about?" Crystal asked as John left. </p>
<p>"Fugu." Amy walked up to the group with a manic smile on her lips her eyes wide with the excitement of finding a new connection in the case. </p>
<p>"That's really not very nice." Crystal looked at Amy and shook her head walking away. </p>
<p>Amy ignored Crystal and pulled Trixie and Katya in closer, lowering her voice. "Tetrodotoxin is biologically derived from Tetraodontidea...puffer fish." </p>
<p>"Sooooo what?" Katya looked between Trixie and Amy trying to figure out what the hell all this tetra blah blah blah shit meant. </p>
<p>"It's a Japanese delicacy known as Fugu." Trixie supplied, looking at Katya. </p>
<p>"Hank had sushi for lunch at a place called Sushi-Momo." Amy said with a triumphant smirk.</p>
<p>"M'kay lets go." Katya grabbed Trixie hand and headed for the door. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"there we go nice and tight." Katya mumbled as she tighten the cuff around Franklins wrist. She tugged the one attached to the casket to make sure it was secure too. " Right so, nobody looks inside the casket. Okay Franklin?" She took a step back from the undertaker and gave him a pat on the shoulder.</p>
<p>"Uh...how do I do that?" He questioned nervously. </p>
<p>"Well you just uh- um you just...Trix? How does he do that?" Katya looked over her shoulder to Trixie. </p>
<p>"Hmm if somebody want's to gaze upon the body of their dead relative one last time at a futile attempt at communication or soul searching-" </p>
<p>"Trix just how does he stop people from looking in the empty box?" Katya interrupted looking at her watch. </p>
<p>"We are encountering fluid seepage at the moment, and the body is not available for viewing right now." Trixie said simply. </p>
<p>"Perfect!" Just say that." Katya turned to Franklin and gave him a clap on the back. </p>
<p>"I'd never say it like that." Franklin said, sweating even harder. </p>
<p>"Well you have lots of time to workshop it." Katya nodded heading for the door. "C'mon Trix we gotta go." </p>
<p>"Hold on Violet is calling." Trixie pulled her phone from her purse and held it to her ear ignoring a Very impatient Katya.</p>
<p>"I'm done." Violets voice rang through Trixie's phone. "I'm going to need some transport for me and the...body." </p>
<p>"Sure right after we get back from sushi." Trixie said as Katya ushered her out of the house to the car. </p>
<p>"Sushi? You're going for sushi right now? Trixie what-" Violet's voice cut off as Trixie hung up and hopped in the car. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"So do you serve puffer fish?" Katya questioned, her notepad and pen out. </p>
<p>"Fugu-" Trixie interrupted before the woman could speak. They stood outside the restaurant at the loading dock where crates of raw fish on ice were being brought into the kitchen. </p>
<p>"Blowfish? no. we aren't licensed to serve it." The owner of the restaurant answered. </p>
<p>"We are investigation a Tetrodotoxin poisoning." Trixie looked at the woman, hoping she would stop lying now that she knew the stakes. </p>
<p>"We do not serve fugu. I promise." She pleaded. "Did someone who ate at my restaurant die?" She looked back and forth between Trixie and Katya. </p>
<p>"Doctor Hank Riley." Trixie answered. </p>
<p>"Hank? He just ate with us the other day." She sounded surprised and even a little sad. </p>
<p>"Do you know who he ate lunch with?" Katya asked. </p>
<p>"A man. He told Hank something and he got very upset." </p>
<p>"Can you tell us anything else about him? Katya asked. </p>
<p>"He had a scar on his face. It was kinda big, just below his right eye." </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"Excuse me. I'm uh looking for my friends?" Crystal walked into the casket room where she saw the undertaker next to the casket. She had seen him earlier with Trixie and Katya but she hasn't been able to find anyone since Amy came up the the group of them by the stairs. </p>
<p>Franklin looked down and schooled his face, talking a deep breathe. "I apologize, but we are encountering some...slight fluid seepage at the moment." He tried to hold it together. "And the body will not be available for viewing just now." He let go of a breath he didn't even know he was holding. </p>
<p>Crystal watched the man in front of her speak, letting him finish before she stepped towards him to offer her help. "Sir, I'm a trained psychologist. And I can tell you are very obviously under allot strain." </p>
<p>"You might say that." Franklins eyes darted to the door. </p>
<p>"Dealing with grieve and loss everyday can take its toll." Crystal sympathized, glad to see he was opening up. </p>
<p>"You have no idea." Franklin sighed, nodding his head. </p>
<p>"One might even take responsibility for the death in some cases." She continued. "As if it were they're own fault. " </p>
<p>"Are- are you messing with me?" Franklin's eyes bugged, he leaned away from Crystal. </p>
<p>"No no no I'm just saying I understand. Human behaviour is surprising at times." Crystal smiled. "You know, you may think you have everything under control then BAM you're blindsides by the unknown."  </p>
<p>"Totally." Franklin sighed in relief. </p>
<p>"It's perfectly natural. You have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about." Crystal was happy to see she was helping the poor guy, he seemed so distressed when she came in. </p>
<p>"Thank you." he sighed, "Thank you thank you." </p>
<p>"Were you close to the deceased? She asked gesturing to the casket. </p>
<p>"Umm yeah, you could say so." Franklin chuckled. "But I'm allot closer to his wife." He said winking at Crystal. </p>
<p>Crystal just looked at him with a blank stare and smiled, turning around and leaving. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"We'll be there as soon as we can." Trixie said to Violet over the phone as she rushed to get back to the house. </p>
<p>"Everyone was all 'hurry up Violet!' and now I'm here filing my nails with a stolen body!" Violet said exasperated. "I can't lug him back there on my own!" </p>
<p>"We'll come and get you after we talk to scar guy." Trixie hung up on Violet and continued to speed walk with Katya. </p>
<p>"What's going on?" Crystal stepped in Trixie and Katya's path, sounding defeated. She looked between them with a concerned look waiting for an answer. "I sense you two are holding something back. Yes. Yes, you are." She pointed her finger at Trixie and Katya as they shared a look. </p>
<p>"Okay." Trixie sighed looking around. "We stole Hank's body in order to confirm he was murdered-" </p>
<p>"Translated." Katya interrupted. </p>
<p>"Yes Translated." Trixie sighed anxious to find scar guy. </p>
<p>"You two are joking right? You're trying to trick me?" Crystal looked from Katya to Trixie. </p>
<p>"Nope. Undertaker stabbed him with a trocar." Katya popped her 'p', looking over Crystals shoulder to keep track of the scar guy. </p>
<p>"Wait whoa whoa. The same undertake that's been telling everyone the body is leaking?" Crystal's eyes popped out, her heart dropping to her stomach. </p>
<p>"mm-hmm." Katya nodded. </p>
<p>"Okay...I might have told him that murder is nothing to worry about." Crystal bit her lip anxiously as Katya groaned and rolled her eyes. </p>
<p>"Amazing! You know what? If you want to help go find Amy and bring her back to the lab. Get the body, bring it back, and get it back into the casket without anybody noticing." Katya poked Crystals collar bone. </p>
<p>"Wait!" Crystal stopped Katya as she started walking away taking Trixie with her. "What why?" </p>
<p>"So the poisoner doesn't know we know and run away." Trixie huffed turning back around and taking Katya with her.</p>
<p>"There's a poisoner <em>and </em>a stabber?" Crystal was so shocked and confused. </p>
<p>"Shhh!" Both Trixie and Katya turned around and raised their hands for her to stop. </p>
<p>"sorry, sorry." Crystal held her hands up in surrender. She really wished she had time to call Gigi and get some reassuring words.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Trixie and Katya stood outside of the kitchen where the scar man was. He was messing around fixing himself a drink and Katya hoped it took him awhile because she needed a moment to collect herself before either of them tried anything. </p>
<p>"Trix you can't be here while I do this." Katya adjusted her dress shirt, pulling the suit jacket off. She fluffed her hair and checked her lipstick, trying her best to seem more feminine. </p>
<p>"Why?" Trixie looked away from the window to watch Katya. She stopped Katya from fussing with her hair and smoothed it out nicely, tucking a strand behind her ear. </p>
<p>"Because I need to be devastatingly charming to a man and I can't do that while my girlfriend -whom I love so much- watches me." Katya sighed. </p>
<p>"I love you too." Trixie fixed Katya's red lipstick. But don't you think a typical masculine man like scar guy would be more inclined to open up to and flirt with a woman like me who presents with traditional female features?" Trixie stepped back from Katya and looked her over. </p>
<p>"I- yes I know that. Yeah you're more girly and sexy but I'm sorry Trix your social skills are lacking. I mean you barley knew how to flirt with me and your a lesbian. How are you supposed to flirt let alone flirt with a <em>guy</em>." Katya undid a button of her dress shirt and propped up her minimal cleavage. </p>
<p>"I could do it. I learned from you!" Trixie eyed the opening of Katya's shirt for a moment, distracted. </p>
<p>"Look, how about this? I go in first and try and if he's cold I'll send you in." Katya offered. </p>
<p>"Fine." Trixie only pouted a little. </p>
<p>"Okay great but you can't watch." Katya grabbed Trixie by the shoulders and gave her a quick peck before spinning her around so she faced away from the window. </p>
<p>Katya took a deep breath then opened the door to the kitchen and stepped inside. She close the door behind herself and sighed catching scar guys attention. When they made eye contact she gave him a smile and stepped close. </p>
<p>"We haven't really met yet. I don't really know to many people around here." She folded her hands behind her back and tried to subtly push up her cleavage. </p>
<p>"There's lots of people I'm sure you'll find someone you know." Scar guy gave her a quick once over then turned his back to her fixing his drink. Katya stood there for a moment stunned. She thought about trying again but the rejection was clear. </p>
<p>"Right." She grabbed a glass off the counter and hastily poured some bourbon in. She left quietly with her head down, embarrassment burning her cheeks. She walked through the crowd looking for Trixie as fast as she could. She didn't know how long scar guy would be alone in the kitchen and that was really their only window. </p>
<p>"Trix!" Katya whispered yelled, waving Trixie over from a chair in the family room. Trixie spotted her and perked up, immediately making her way over. </p>
<p>"So what'd you get?" She asked crowding against Katya in the corner of the room her voice low. </p>
<p>"Nothing you were right." She mumbled. </p>
<p>"Huh?" Trixie looked too Katya her brows furrowed. </p>
<p>"Nothing he iced me out. You were right." Katya grit between her teeth. </p>
<p>"Hah! I told you." Trixie had a smug smirk on her lips. </p>
<p>"Yeah yeah whatever. Just get in there and ask about Hank, we don't have allot of time before he isn't alone again." Katya ushered Trixie to the kitchen door. She fluffed up her girlfriends hair and yanked down the neckline of her dress a bit. "Okay good luck." Katya gave her a quick peck before scurrying away so scar guy would see her. </p>
<p>Trixie stood in front of the door in shock of what just happened and how it all happened so quickly. Katya was like a little rocket, small but compact with energy whizzing circles around her. She looked down to her chest and grimaced at the thought of a man ogling it. Just as she collected herself and went to open the door, scar guy walked out and bumped right into her spilling his drink. </p>
<p>"Oh! oh my god I'm so sorry." Trixie looked from the man wet shirt up to his face. Noticeable scar under the right eye, yup that was him. </p>
<p>"It's okay don't worry about it. it wasn't anything to complicated." Scar guy smiled at her his eyes traveling down her face to her alcohol covered chest. </p>
<p>"Well if it's simple at least let me fix you a new one." Trixie smiled reaching out to grab his glass. She made sure to brush his fingers as she took it, looking up at him from below her rather large eyelashes. </p>
<p>"Yeah sure that sounds nice." Scar guy turned around and went back into the kitchen. He leaned against the opposite counter of Trixie and watched her from behind as she mixed his drink together. </p>
<p>"So how did you know Hank? There seems to be so many people here for him but I'm not surprised, he was always so friendly." Trixie turned around to give scar guy his drink, ignoring the fact that his eyes flicked up from where he was definitely just staring at her ass. </p>
<p>"I'm the Riley family's estate lawyer." He smiled and accepted the drink. "My name's Erik Miller by the way." He stuck his hand out for Trixie to shake. </p>
<p>"Oh right right." She nodded along smiling. Things were going pretty well but then she saw Katya from the corner of her eye. She was standing a few feet a way from the window watching. It made her palms sweat. Yeah they both agreed to this and clearly she didn't care about Erik at all but it still felt weird to flirt with someone while she had an adoring girlfriend who loved her just as much as she loved her. "Uh ahem Trixie my uh my names Trixie...Mattel. Trixie Mattel." </p>
<p>"Well Trixie would you like a drink?" Erik slid another glass over, reaching behind her for a bottle. Trixie just nodded not trusting herself to talk with him this close to her. He smiled down at her then backed up handing her a full glass. </p>
<p>"So um you had lunch with Hank the day he died?" Trixie questioned taking a large sip of what she quickly learned was bourbon. Gross it tasted like a horse shit out gasoline. horse hole gasoline. "That must've been terrible to learn."</p>
<p>"Yeah it was pretty terrible." Erik nodded. "It wasn't a very pleasant lunch." He looked own at the kitchen tiles. </p>
<p>"Oh I'm sorry." Trixie pouted out her lip fluttering her lashes. "Did you guys argue?" She walked over to Erik and placed a hand on his bicep rubbing it up and down. </p>
<p>"Yeah, but not personally you know? It's lawyer stuff, I can't really discuss it." He looked up and over to where Trixie was stood on his left, still holding his bicep. </p>
<p>"Oh no of course not." Trixie nodded her head trying to make her eyes look as understanding as possible. "but you know, professional arguments don't count in situations like this." She lowered the volume of her voice trying to sound softer. </p>
<p>"They don't?" Erik looked at her and bit his lip, holding eye contact. </p>
<p>"No it's just business baby, nothing to be guilty about." Trixie felt her face go pink at baby. Shit was she being to obvious, could he tell she had no idea how to pretend to flirt or be attracted to men. She just did what she thought a guy would do to her. Because if she did what she would do to a woman or what Katya would do to her she'd get nowhere. </p>
<p>"Hmm baby huh?" Erik leaned in closer. "Well thank you for the support...baby." he smiled down at Trixie leaning in closer. </p>
<p>Trixie stared at him frozen. She could sense him moving close enough that their noses where getting close to touching. In a moment of panic she let go of his arm and shuffled back tripping over herself and almost tumbling to the floor. She caught herself on the counter and pulled herself back up still heading for the door backwards. "I'm okay I'm okay." She said placing a hand out to stop Erik from helping her. "But um I've uh I've gotta go so...um bye." She whipped open the door and sped out. She grabbed Katya by the arm and dragged her away to a different room so she could tell her everything she learned.  </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"Wow. He's really dead." Crystal leaned over the table to look at Hank's corpse. </p>
<p>"That happens here...in the autopsy room." Violet leaned in front of her to fix up Hank's body so it could be moved off the table. </p>
<p>"Hey you'll have your last lunch some day too." Amy rushed into the room pulling the block that propped Hank's head up out from under him. </p>
<p>"Yeah but usually the ones you guys get don't look like people to start." Crystal backed away from the table to let Violet and Amy work. </p>
<p>"Thank you, so much." Violet rolled her eye's at Crystal as she grabbed Hank's feet. She looked up to Amy who had his head and shoulders. "You ready?" </p>
<p>"Yup." Amy nodded waving Crystal over to support Hank's back. "Okay 1,2,3." The three of them lifted Hank's body off the autopsy table and slid it onto a gurney. Amy adjusted his body and made sure his arms weren't hanging off the side while Violet took her apron off. </p>
<p>"By the way Hank wasn't killed by his lunch." She turned around to look back at Amy and Crystal. </p>
<p>"What?" Crystal looked between Amy and Violet completely lost. </p>
<p>"It wasn't the fugu in is hand roll?" Amy asked waving a dismissive hand at Crystal. She could catch up in the car. </p>
<p>"No. The toxin slowed his digestion and the remains were well preserved by the formaldehyde and ethanol. Tuna, Salmon, yellow tail, and eel cut roll." Violet came over to the gurney and helped Amy covering it with a sheet. </p>
<p>"Really What did he have for breakfast then?" Amy fussed with the sheet. </p>
<p>"His wife said Hank didn't eat breakfast. She said she always just made him a cup of tea." Crystal said feeling better knowing she contributed some info to the case. </p>
<p>"I did find stray tea leaves. His strainer must not have worked well." Violet mused out loud. </p>
<p>"He still has a face. Like he's smiling." Crystal ignored Violet and looked over at Hank's corpse, leaning in to get a better look. "Maybe a bit too much though." Crystal looked up to Violet. </p>
<p>"Hey I'm a pathologist not an undertaker I did the best I could. You can be my guest and adjust his smile if you think it's too much." Violet crossed her arms and looked down at Hank's corpse, inviting Crystal to even try and make it any better. Crystal just shook her head and stepped ack from him instead. </p>
<p>"If there wasn't any sign of poison in the food in his stomach then it had to have come from his morning tea." Amy spoke up</p>
<p>"That's probably the best way to do it." Violet agreed, leading the gurney out of the autopsy room. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Trixie and Katya stood in the corner of the family room as everyone stood around drunkenly singing 'Amazing Grace'. They hid near one of the tables that had been loaded up with booze, hoping everyone had already gotten their fill or would just go to the kitchen. </p>
<p>"So, scar guy is the family's estate lawyer and handles the mothers will." Trixie tucked herself closer to Katya. </p>
<p>"And he argued with Hank at his last lunch." Katya wrapped an arm around Trixie's waist and pulled her close. She swayed their bodies along to the off-key singing so they looked like they were participating.</p>
<p>"My guess is them having problems with the will." Trixie whispered, eyeing Erik. "Because the old lady is so close to death." </p>
<p>"yes, but not like that." Katya cringed, glancing at Trixie. "That's not the nicest way of putting it but the idea is right." Katya explained. </p>
<p>"I mean look at her Kat," Trixie discreetly gestured to where Miss Riley was struggling to sit down on the couch, taking large gulps of air from her oxygen tank. "It's a amazing that she can still stand." Trixie frowned. </p>
<p>"Anyways. There are two heirs to the money when she dies. Hank and his brother Barney." Katya rolled her eyes at Trixie and moved on. </p>
<p>"Hmm, so do you think Barney killed Hank for the money?" Trixie asked, eyeing the brother in the bowtie. </p>
<p>"Why don't you go ask him?" Katya nodded over to where Barney was standing. </p>
<p>"Why?" Trixie turned to fully look at Katya again. "Oh...is it because I'm attractive and sexy and feminine and good at flirting?" Trixie smirked and raised her brows, poking Katya with each word. </p>
<p>"Well yes there's all that." Katya leaned in and quickly pecked Trixie's lips, pulling back with a smirk. "But he also was star struck by you and probably wants to talk to you about some science-y stuff." </p>
<p>"Right." Trixie nodded. She looked over her shoulder at Barney then back to Katya. She took a deep breath, smacked a hard kiss on Katya's lips then turned around and strutted away to Barney. Katya stood shocked for a moment then collected herself and followed behind Trixie. </p>
<p>Trixie snuck herself in beside Barney and began to sing with the rest of the group, catching him giving her a glace from the corner of he eye. She smiled back at him and kept singing focusing on Doctor Riley's widow, as she went around the circle and began hugging people and singing with them, her whisky glass almost spilling every time she moved. </p>
<p>"You have a beautiful voice Doctor Mattel." Barney spoke as the song ended, turning to face Trixie directly. </p>
<p>"I know." Trixie said simply. "I mean uh thank you." She smiled when she saw Katya cringe at her. "You should call me Trixie, please." </p>
<p>"Um sure...<em>Trixie</em>." Barney smiled. </p>
<p>"So tell me about your research?" Trixie started her digging, hoping this awkward conversation would be worth something. </p>
<p>"well um, My latest findings have been coming in slowly but, I've been trying to find a cure for allergies using worms." Barney smiled proudly. "I've been letting them grow inside my stomach so I can extract a hormone they produce that has been shown to lighten the affects of allergies. I've got it timed right now so they don't stay in too long and send me to the ER again. </p>
<p>"Oh wow, that's um...very interesting." Trixie smiled weakly. </p>
<p>"Would it be something you'd be interested in presenting to Doctor Doan. I know Amy is the head of the bugs and drugs over at the Jeffersonian." Barney looked hopefully at Trixie. </p>
<p>"No." Trixie sad plainly. "It's very unpractical and underdeveloped." She watched Barney's face fall and Katya coughed, loudly. "Uh That's what the head of Amy's department would say. I however think its very...innovative."</p>
<p>"Innovated, yes! That's how I've been describing it. I've been creative enough to turn myself into an incubator for these worms, I don't know how much more innovative I could get." He chuckled taking a swig of his drink. "Oh don't worry I'm on an off cycle right now, so I can drink." He leaned in and spoke softly like Trixie actually cared about his...gut worms. </p>
<p>"Why not publish the research yourself?" Trixie question. She may work with bones and half decomposed corpses all day, but something about live worms growing and living in the mans stomach made her want to scurry out of there. </p>
<p>"Oh I can't afford that." He chuckled, his face sad. </p>
<p>"You have an inheritance coming." Trixie suggested. </p>
<p>"That's true, and the whole thing too." Barney spoke more to himself than Trixie. </p>
<p>"You mean instead of splitting it with Hank?" Trixie tried not to seem to much like she was digging or interrogating. </p>
<p>"Splitting it? Oh yeah mean in half, haha no. Hank and I were step brothers, hardly any of it was coming to me." 90% of it was going to be given to Hank and his wife Helen. "Barney explained.  "There was nothing mom could do about it either." </p>
<p>"Well what about now?" Trixie asked catching Katya's eye. </p>
<p>"Half to Helen...Half to me....I can publish and fund my own research! To Hank Riley!" Barney raised his glass and looked up the the ceiling. Just then Helen smashed a glass and got up in Sarah's face. </p>
<p>"Admit it. Just admit it!" She stood in front of the young assistant. </p>
<p>"Helen please stop," Sarah said. </p>
<p>"Don't you call me Helen you Tramp!" She shoved Sarah. "I'm Mrs. Riley to you. Mrs. Hank Riley!" </p>
<p>"Please, Hank is gone." Sarah tried to step away. </p>
<p>"He was my husband! Which is why I know he's gone." Helen slurred, now speaking to the crowd in the family room. "And you are Mrs. Hank's skank!" </p>
<p>"Show him some respect for once in your life!" Sarah finally spoke up. </p>
<p>"What is going on?" Trixie asked from where she was standing beside Katya, watching everything unfold. </p>
<p>"It's just normal funeral stuff." Katya took a gulp of her drink and kept watching. </p>
<p>"Oh so you respected my husband is that it?" Helen stumbled over to Sarah. </p>
<p>"Of course I did!" Sarah shouted. </p>
<p>"Exactly how many times a week did you respect him?" Helen was sobbing now. </p>
<p>"This is not the time nor the place,<em> Helen</em>." Sarah spat. </p>
<p>"Get out of my house! Go back to your one bedroom brothel and die!" </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Amy made her way through the house, sneaking past everyone while they were distracted by Helen and Sarah's yelling. She made her way to the back of the house where the casket was being held as fast as she could. When she entered the room and slammed the door Franklin sat up from where he was leaning over the casket, looking at her shocked. She payed him no mind as she went to the window and whipped the curtains back. </p>
<p>"Okay, come on come on." Amy said as she opened the widow and helped Violet and Crystal pull Hank's body through it. She grabbed his feet and lifted them while Violet and Crystal had him under their shoulders. </p>
<p>"You got him?" Violet asked as Crystal stepped back so she could run around the back and get inside the house. </p>
<p>"Yeah," Amy nodded pulling Hank's torso through the window. "Down, down, down." She directed as she settled him on the floor. </p>
<p>"Okay good good." Violet let go of Hank's shoulders and slid through the window herself. </p>
<p>"Can you do this without me?" Amy asked frantically, smoothing down the skirt of her dress. </p>
<p>"What?" Crystal looked to Amy, her eyes wide with panic. </p>
<p>"Why?" Violet hissed, looking down to Hank's stiff body. </p>
<p>"He'll help you." Amy pointed to Franklin then all but ran out of the room. </p>
<p>Both Violet and Crystal turned to look where Franklin was standing still chained to the casket. He looked back at mouth of them with his mouth hanging open. </p>
<p>"Oh! Oh!" Crystal panicked as Hanks body slid sideways falling onto the ground. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"You were nothing to him." Helen sneered at Sarah getting up in her face. </p>
<p>"Oh yeah? Then why did he want to make love to me and not you!" Sarah shot back, narrowing her eyes at Helen. </p>
<p>Helen stared at Sarah for a moment before she stepped forwards and shoved her backwards. Sarah stumbled back then grabbed Helen's hair, Helen doing the same to Sarah. The crowd backed up and people gasped as the two women fought. </p>
<p>"Hey hey whoa okay whoa whoa whoa!" Katya shoved herself between the two women, separating them. "Ladies who come on. Hey hey hey stop stop!" She got ahold of Sarah's shoulders and guided her back and away from Helen. Helen started reaching around her back trying to swipe at at Sarah again and Katya turned around to her, still using a hand to hold back Sarah. "Hey c'mon a little help here please?" She looked around at the crowd. "Are you just gunna watch them fight? Come on." She sighed. When Sarah pulled out of her grasp and reached for Helen again that's when Katya put her foot down. "Hey hey." She held them each back with one arm. "Hold it HOLD IT!" everyone stopped, both Helen and Sarah stepped back. "Is this the way you think Hank would want his wake to end?" She asked looking between Helen and Sarah. "This isn't about you-" She pointed to Helen. "-or you!-" She pointed to Sarah. "Its about him! It's about Hank!" Katya stood in the middle of the circle of people, turning to look at all of them. "Do you think he'd want to see this?" </p>
<p>"He'd want us to sing." Sarah spoke up placing her glass down. </p>
<p>"Sing! Yes, he'd want us to sing!" Katya nodded. She followed along as Sarah started singing 'Swing Low' trying to encourage people to join in. Helen started singing too, belting the lyrics out loud and dramatically, singing over Sarah. She walked around the circle and sang with people, gesturing for them to keep singing as she moved to the next person. Helen and Miss Riley hugged as they sang to one another, the whole room filled with people singing the song. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"Only lose tea? no bags?" Trixie asked as she rifled through all the boxes of tea in the Riley's kitchen. </p>
<p>"No bags. Violet found lose tea leaves in the stomach contents." Amy confirmed as she set up jars of water on the counter, her latex gloves on. </p>
<p>"Here's another one." Trixie turned around holding a box of tea in her gloved hands. "Malty orange Assam." She read the label on the box out to Amy. </p>
<p>"Throw it in there, we'll test it for the fugu poison." Amy gestured to one of the jars she had set out. </p>
<p>Trixie dumped the leaves in the jar of water and began stirring to make sure the water soaked up enough of the leaves. She moved the Jar over to Amy who took a sample of it in a pipette, transferring it over to a glass beaker. She took out out her chemicals and poured a generous amount into the beaker, watching as it turned dark purple. She looked up to Trixie who was watching the water change colour as well. </p>
<p>"Hank Riley was killed by a cup of tea." She confirmed, nodding her head in agreement with Amy. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Violet stood over Hank's casket and looked at his face trying to figure out what didn't look right. She used a standard grade filler but something was off. </p>
<p>"He's smiling too much." Franklin pipped in from where he was sitting, now free from the casket. </p>
<p>Violet looked over her shoulder at him with a glare but fixed Hank's smile anyways, pulling the skin around his mouth down with her pointer fingers. She stepped back again and looked at him tilting her head to the side. "There, he looks like he's just enjoying the party." Violet sighed. </p>
<p>"His funeral?" Franklin deadpanned. He stared at the body again for a moment then stood up turning back to Violet. "Where are his glasses?"</p>
<p>"He wore glasses?...oh god." Violet panicked and turned back to Hank's body. Just then the door opened again and scar guy walked in. He looked between Violet Crystal and Franklin then stepped into the room more. </p>
<p>"Before I leave could I speak to Hank?" He asked Crystal. </p>
<p>While he was looking away Violet reached into her purse and grabbed the only glasses she had, a pair of hot pink designer Hawkers Lauper sunglasses with small rectangular frames. She looked back between scar guy and Hank and panicked, placing the glasses on Hank's face. </p>
<p>"Uhhhh." Crystal stalled until Violet stepped back from the casket. "Go right ahead." She smiled, stepping back so scar guy could head to the casket. Everyone shared a look when he first looked at Hank. </p>
<p>"He looks so..." Violet, Crystal and Hank and held their breath, squeezing their eyes closed. "Happy." Scar guy smiled. All three of them sighed in relief. </p>
<p>"Thank god." Violet murmured. </p>
<p>"You did a wonderful job." Scar guy turned around and looked at Franklin sincerely.</p>
<p>"Th-thank you." Franklin barley whispered. </p>
<p>*** </p>
<p>"How should I know what kind of tea Hank drank that morning ." Helen looked up in disbelief, her eyes switching back and forth from Trixie, Katya, and Amy from where she sat at the table. </p>
<p>"You said you brewed his tea for him every morning." Trixie supplied, surprised Helen was trying to lie so blatantly. </p>
<p>"That was in the eulogy speech. No one tells the truth in a eulogy speech." Helen sighed, her voice getting quieter. </p>
<p>"Well then who did make his tea that morning." Katya asked impatiently. She didn't have time to listen to Helen pretending to be sad. </p>
<p>"Hank did himself. The water temperature had to be just right, he was very particular about his tea." Helen sighed sarcastically. Amy, Trixie and Katya all eyed each other wearily, until Katya tried giving Helen a disbelieving look to which she responded with, "If there isn't anything else can I leave?" She sounded bored. </p>
<p>Katya just gave up and walked out, Trixie following close behind her. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Back on the car ride home Trixie, Katya, Amy and Violet went through the story again, putting all the pieces together into one cohesive time line. Katya was disappointed nothing came out of today and Trixie was frustrated that the evidence didn't lead them to the right person like it usually did. </p>
<p>"His wife was cheating." Katya sighed as she made a left turn down the empty streets. It was late and dark, nobody was out this time on a Thursday. </p>
<p>"But so was he." Trixie jumped in quickly. </p>
<p>"The assistant is still a suspect." Katya tried to think of something new that would give them something, anything to follow. </p>
<p>"What about Erik?" Trixie asked turning to Katya who met her with raised brows. "Scar guy." Trixie huffed. </p>
<p>"I don't think so." Katya shook her head. Trixie turned away from her and gazed out the window, frustrated. "Okay so we are far from an arrest here guys." Katya looked in the rear-view at Amy and Violet who both sighed. </p>
<p>"At least we got Franklin Tung." Trixie pipped up again, to invested to stay out of it even if she was feeling beaten down. </p>
<p>"He didn't mean to kill anyone. Right Vi, that what the-" Katya stopped at looked back at Violet who wasn't answering. "You here with us Vi?" </p>
<p>"Oh. Yeah." Violet sat up in her seat. "Yes Franklin killing Hank with the trocar was accidental. Hank's killer had failed with the poison-" </p>
<p>"Nobody else knows about the poison besides us right" Trixie interrupted. Katya could tell she had something, she had perked up in her seat and had that look in her eye of when she thought of something smart and science-y. </p>
<p>"The murder does." Amy pipped in from the back seat. </p>
<p>"When crops died, some ancient tribes in South India believed that one of them might be possessed by an evil spirit. They would pass around a cup of poison that would only kill demons to find out who.  The person who refused the drink was proven to be the possessed one." Trixie explained, her eyes lighting up. </p>
<p>"Ah!" Katya nodded along, catching on. It was the first time she had been the only one who understood what Trixie's anthropological ramblings meant. Both Amy and Violet looked at her confused, Katya catching their squinted eyes in her rear view mirror. "You are a genius Trixie! Did you know that?" Katya leaned over and smacked a kiss on Trixie's lips before the light turned green. </p>
<p>"Yes, I do." Trixie nodded, smiling at Katya. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Everyone gathered outside at the cemetery surrounding Hank's grave. It was a nice cemetery, the grass was well kept and green, and the grounds had a border of trees, mainly every green. The sky was cloudy and dark, threatening rain at any moment, it matched the somber theme of the final sermon the speech was giving at the head of Hank's casket. </p>
<p>"Hank's soul with remain with the generations of his family." The priest finished, closing his bible. </p>
<p>"Oh! I'd like to add something." Trixie shouted. Sh started walking to the front of the group where Hank's mother, brother, and wife sat. Everyone else standing behind them. "I missed my chance at the funeral." She quieted her voice as Katya, Amy, Kim and Crystal all handed out the tea cups. Violet stood at the back, she claimed it was so she could stop the murderer if they tried to run but, everyone knew t was because she didn't want to be embarrassed by Trixie's awful funeral decorum. </p>
<p>"Hank Riley specialized in Egyptian embalming rituals and practices. He was an expert in grieving." Trixie voice became loud and clinical again making both Kim and Katya cringe. "Hank would appreciate nothing more than the most common of funerary practices, the raising of a glass. It's not alcohol but, an even more ancient drink. Tea." Kim and Amy poured tea for everyone in the glasses Katya and Crystal handed out. "I took the liberty of bringing this tea from Hank's personal stash. The same tea he drank on his last day with all of us." </p>
<p>Trixie accepted her tea from Kim as Katya came to stand beside her. She placed a hand on the small of Trixie's back, her own cup already raised. When Amy, Kim and Crystal all stood with their at the front and raised their own glasses Trixie spoke, keeping her eye on all the confused faces in front of her. </p>
<p>"I can think of no better way of saying adieu...Than to share one last cup of tea with Hank." Trixie spoke. Nobody said anything, they just stared at her. Katya squeezed her side and gave her a look, telling her to do something. "To Hank!" She raised her cup, everyone following along after a moment. </p>
<p>"No!" Miss. Riley knocked Barney's cup from his hand. </p>
<p>"Mom! What are you doing?" He turned to look at her as she struggled to stand. </p>
<p>Trixie, Katya, Amy Kim, Violet, and Crystal all shared a look of understanding as Katya stepped forwards, walking towards Mrs. Riley. Violet joined them in the front knowing she didn't need to hold Mrs. Riley back. Not because they were right and she wanted credit, no way. </p>
<p>"You poisoned your own son." Katya stood in front of the old woman. The crowd of guests behind her all gasped, Barney and Helen turning to look at her. </p>
<p>'Mom what's going on?" Barney asked. </p>
<p>"He wasn't my son!" She looked from Katya over to Barney. "It wasn't fair of you father. He worked it so you got nothing. He got everything!" She explained. </p>
<p>"You killed Hank?" Scar guy asked from the crowd. Everyone gasped and murmured as Miss. Riley sobbed, sucking in air from her O2 tank. "This is all my fault." </p>
<p>"Ugh god. This is why I hate funerals." Kim sighed, leaning into Amy's side with a frown. </p>
<p>"This is why I love them." Violet smiled, taking a sip of her tea. </p>
<p>"I told Hank that Miss Riley was trying to get around the will by siphoning money into a separate trust for Barney. But it was illegal!" Scar guy Pointed over to Miss Riley. </p>
<p>"If you you'd kept your nosy trap shut, Hank would still be alive." Miss Riley looked back at him unbothered. She took another breath from her tank then stood up looking over her husbands grave. "Bob, this is all your fault. You brought this on yourself." She shook her head then turned to Katya. "Do what you're going to do." She said with a semi snide smile. "What's the worst that could happen? " She asked her voice shaky. </p>
<p>Katya stepped forward with a blank face, her lips in a tight line. She took Misses Riley's wrists and cuffed them, leading her away from the funeral and out of the cemetery.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>
  <em>5 Days Later</em>
</p>
<p>"Oh, mom, mom, mom." Barney sighed as he stood and looked over his mothers grave. Katya was to his left, Trixie to his right. </p>
<p>"Well, one things for sure Barney. Your mother loved you very much." Katya gave the guy a pat on the back. </p>
<p>"She used her own heart medicine to kill Hank so you would get your fair share. She mixed it in his tea." Trixie explained, hoping it was comforting. She really wasn't sure, Katya wasn't close enough to hiss in her ear. </p>
<p>"And she died because she ran out of her medicine killing him." Barney sighed sadly, still looking down at his mothers grave stone. "Would you, excuse me please?" Barney looked to Katya. </p>
<p>"Of course." Katya smiled walking away. When she didn't hear or feel Trixie behind her she looked back and saw Trixie still awkwardly standing near Barney. "Trix that means you too." She whispered, waving Trixie over. </p>
<p>"Oh." Trixie's eyes widened with realization. She turned back to Barney and gave him a nod then scurried over to Katya taking her arm. </p>
<p>"He wants to be alone with his mother and brother." Katya explained as they strolled away from Barney with their arms linked. </p>
<p>"With that logic he wants to be alone with every person who has ever died." Trixie looked to Katya unimpressed. </p>
<p>"Look," Katya sighed, pulling Trixie closer to her. "If I die I want you to do me a favour-" </p>
<p>"well, you will die Katya. It's inevitable." Trixie interrupted. </p>
<p>"Alright, whatever, Trix. When I inevitably drop dead before you, I'd like you to come out, you know, spend some time and talk to me every once and awhile." Katya shrugged looking to Trixie. </p>
<p>"I'll feel foolish knowing you can't hear me." Trixie looked back at Katya with furrowed brows. </p>
<p>"Promise me." Katya stopped their walking and held Trixie's hands in hers. </p>
<p>"I promise." Trixie said simply. </p>
<p>"Good." Katya leaned in and gave her a quick peck. </p>
<p>"But it's only because I love you, not because you could hear me." Trixie giggled against Katya's lips. </p>
<p>"<em>Sure</em>, that's the <em>only</em> reason." Katya teased, giggling herself. </p>
<p>"Fine. I believe that if I pretended you were still here, I'd feel better for a moment." Trixie looked down at her feet. "Also, speaking to you would require me to figuratively look at myself through your eyes. Again temporarily. And I think that would make me live my life more successfully." Trixie looked back up into Katya's eyes again. </p>
<p>"Trixie that is the best thing anyone has ever said about me." Katya spoke softly, squeezing Trixie's hands. </p>
<p>"I'll say it at your wake." Trixie joked lightly. Katya laughed and so did Trixie, her cackle a little less booming than usual. </p>
<p>Thunder sounded and a few drops fell so Katya opened up her umbrella and held it above them. She wrapped an arm around Trixie's waist and pulled her closer so she wouldn't get wet.</p>
<p>"Just make sure when they but me in the ground, I'm dead." Katya joked as they made their way towards the car. </p>
<p>"Yeah, no problem." Trixie nodded. </p>
<p>"You know, maybe leave my body out for a few hours yeah? And just come check on me every once and awhile." Katya shoved her shoulder against Trixie's. </p>
<p>"I'd rather refrigerate you,  or else you'd start to smell." Trixie joked shoving Katya back. </p>
<p>Katya walked Trixie over to the passenger door then closed it for her, making her way to the drivers side. She closed the umbrella and got in as fast as she could, avoiding the rain. She started the car and shook her hair out a little, shoving her damp bangs off of her face. </p>
<p>"I love you." She leaned over the centre console of her car and brought her face right close to Trixie's, a big toothy smile on her face. </p>
<p>"I love you too." Trixie rolled her eyes and pecked Katya's lips. "Now drive, I wanna go home its cold." She brushed Katya's bangs back and smiled. </p>
<p>Katya shifted the car and sped off, holding Trixie's hand the entire ride home.  </p>
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